The Bedtime Story
by MissSanyo
Summary: The tale of a senshi who bore witness to a string of events that turned the Galaxy, as we know it, upside down. AU.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is an AU story that I was inspired to write after Nim published **_The Memory Keeper_**. The characters belong to her and I ALONE. (So please don't use them without our permission) The original BSSM characters, however, are the sole property of the genius Naoko Takuchi. Thank you!  
**

**-Sanyo**

**Prologue: Unsettling Visions**

For as long as she could remember she'd been plagued with the same dream, the same horribly realistic nightmare. She would start at the beginning of a lavishly decorated corridor lined with looking glasses. At first as she passed she'd only be able to see her own reflection but as she continued onward her likeness would begin to look disfigured until it resembled something monstrous and inhuman. That's when she'd begin to hear the screams...

* * *

The marble columns of Orion's summer palace glistened in the dewy twilight. The grounds appeared to be deserted for none of the royal family was up at such a late hour save for the guards on duty. Yet on this particular night a lone figure scurried threw one of the palace's many open corridors, making a beeline for the King and Queen's bedroom chamber.

Along the way he passed flourishing gardens, tinkling fountains, and alabaster statues before he arrived at his parent's room. Quietly he entered and wasted no time scurrying over to his mother's bedside. He found her lying on her back with an arm draped over her head and the other strewn across her stomach. She appeared to be muttering in her sleep and the sheets that had once neatly covered her now lay tangled between her legs.

"Mama…" he whispered tentatively as his gave her a little nudge.

The women turned away from the sound; too preoccupied with the painfully high-pitched wails in her nightly reverie. The accents, so distantly familiar, always left her puzzled.

"Mama…"

Again she feigned ignorance. Her self-consciousness had discovered a door cleverly concealed behind one of the many mirrors. Now to find out what was causing that awful ruckus…

"Mama!"

Sanyo's eyes gradually opened. Once again she'd been denied a glimpse of the horrifying monster and what's more she'd failed to save her comrades from an unruly fate. Yet the retired senshi couldn't dwell on that any longer for hovering above her, tiny hands clasping her shoulders, was a little boy.

"Yuuki," she blinked as she sat up, "is something wrong?"

His blue eyes, so similar to hers, glanced down at the floor, "I'm scared."

A sympathetic smile stretched across her pale features as she reached downward, hugging him around the shoulders, "Oh? Did you have a nightmare?"

He nodded, his face flushing a light pink, "Uh-huh."

"Oh," Sanyo glanced at her husband's sleeping figure briefly before returning her attention to her five year old son, "Alright. Would you like to stay here until you're able to fall asleep again?"

Again he nodded but this time more furiously as he scrambled to climb onto the king sized mattress. Almost instantly he was settled against her waist with his little head comfortably resting against his mother's collarbone.

The Queen couldn't help but laugh as she pulled the silk sheets around them, her hand coming to rest against his head of red curls. "Would you like to hear a story?" She inquired as she playfully tickled his sides. His giggles were answer enough.

"Alright," she cleared her throat as her eyes took on a far off look as she began the tale, like any good story is begun, with: "Once upon a time…"


	2. Chapter One: The Promise of Tomorrow

**Chapter One: Tomorrow's Another Day**

It had been a time of great suffering. Queen Mangekyou, the eldest daughter of former King Jihi and Queen Kudoku, had barely been crowned in the late Winter Solstice when war had struck the peaceful civilization. The attacks, however, were minimal and little damage had been done to the stately buildings of the kingdom's capital. Strangely enough Orion's unknown enemy seemed to have little interest in any of the martial goods that the constellation was well-known for. It wasn't until one of the Queen's younger siblings had been found murdered in his home did she realize her masked assaulters true intentions: to wipe out the royal line and to claim the territory as his or her own.

"Something must be done, Your Majesty," one of her many advisors pointed out as they watched their sovereign pace before her throne only days after the assassination of her brother, Ookami.

"Rumors are spreading quickly through the city streets and already many are speculating that our attackers are from Earth. Do we have any reason to fear the Serenity's, my Queen?" Another questioned.

"Of course not," Mangekyou quickly retorted as she spun to look at her council, "it is well known that we broke contact with Crystal Tokyo sometime before my birth. I can not understand why the Serenity's would want to target my home..." her voice cracked before she could add, "my family." She paused as a hand passed before her face. Gone was the look of distress and in its place an expression of one who wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Issue a decree that no citizen shall be allowed out of their homes after nightfall and suggest that they take greater care when dealing with foreigners. We can never be to sure."

"Yes Your Highness."

"Commander Hiyaku," a broad shouldered man with a distinctive scar running from the corner of his right eye to the tip of his chin stepped forward as the Queen resumed sitting on her throne, "Your Majesty?"

"I want the rest of my relatives brought to the palace immediately. Bring them to me under cover of night," her tone was cold and severe "I expect them here by morning. Is that understood?"

Immediately Hiyaku and the Orion Knights under his command fell upon bent knee. Helmets clutched within the crooks of their arms and hands poised upon the hilts of their swords, always ready and willing to spring into action, the group of men responded in unison to the Queen's command, "Yes Your Highness."

She nodded and with that they were dismissed.

That night Queen Mangekyou slept little as she anticipated the arrival of her brothers and sisters. It had been far too long since she'd last been in the same room with all three, now two, of them.

"If only I had persuaded them to stay in the castle after father and mother's deaths…perhaps then Ookami would still be alive," she gazed thoughtfully out at the starry sky as fond memories of the past filled her mind.

It was then that a loud bang came from the other side of the door.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

Startled she jumped from her bed. The door was thrust open immediately but at the sight of what stood before her the Queen gasped in alarm, "Wha-?"

"It happened so fast, Your Highness," a wounded Hiyaku began as he stood before her, fresh battle scars present all over his arms, legs, and face, "we tried everything but in the end…"

Her face paled as he recounted the horrible tale. They'd managed to gather her brother, Kenshin, from his estates in the Southern part of the kingdom but when they'd swung back to pick up her sister and her family they'd found only a bloody massacre of bodies.

"They'd killed everyone…or so we thought," Hikayu said, "as we searched the grounds we found a pair of Mauians holding hostage a group of children. Talented buggers I'll give them that but in the end no match for my men."

She nodded, "And the children?"

"Luckily the assassins did little harm to them. At the moment they are asleep in one of the palace's spare rooms," he paused, "One of them is the daughter of your sister, Shukufuku, and the other two are servant boys who took on most of the damage. Apparently they tried to protect her and received a beating because of it."

Little Sanyo had survived? Her eyes welled with tears as she pictured the spitting image of her now deceased sister, "Thank you, Hiyaku, that'll be all."

"Your Highness," he bowed. As he turned to leave, however, Mangekyou stopped him, "Would you care to escort me to their room? I'd rather like to see my niece."

"Of course Your Majesty."

* * *

If memory served her correctly she hadn't seen Sanyo since she'd been a babe in the cradle. How she'd grown over the years! Her white curls had developed into blonde tresses and it was apparent that she'd have her mother's petite stature. As the Queen approached her seven year old niece's bedside she was surprised to find that she was not alone. Rather she was surrounded by two boys, whom she assumed had been her niece's brave protectors.

"What are their names?" She asked as she glanced over her shoulder at Hiyaku; he stood guard by the open door.

"The boy with the shaggy white hair is called Sirius," he gestured to the male who looked no more then eleven years of age. He slept sitting up, though his head lolled against his shoulder, with an arm wrapped protectively around Sanyo's waist.

"And the other is named Risou," he pointed to the nine year old curled at Sanyo's feet, his chin resting against her crossed ankles.

She touched a hand to Sanyo's forehead causing the girl to stir in her sleep. Instinctively the child reached out and grabbed the Queen's hand catching Her Highness off guard. They stood there for a few moments, hand clasped, until Mangekyou released her niece's grasp and gently returned the girl's hand to her lap.

"Let's…let's let them rest. I'm sure they've had a very trying day."

"Yes Your Highness," Hiyaku moved aside as Mangekyou stepped past him into the dimly lit hallway. Briefly she paused and looked back at the touching hallmark scene before she continued down the long marble corridor.

"Are they gone?" The younger boy asked once he was sure that their bedroom door had been shut and it was safe to stop feigning sleep.

Sirius nodded, "Yup. Stop worrying so much."

"I'm not scared if that's what you're thinking," Risou grumbled, "I'm just unsure if _they're_ going to try to get us again."

"I doubt it," Sirius replied as he adjusted the pillow behind his head, "So you can go back to sleep now."

Risou stuck his tongue out at his superior but followed orders.

"You promise?" A little voice asked a few moments later.

"Eh?" The albino boy peered down at Sanyo who appeared not entirely awake but conscious enough to have been eavesdropping on their conversation.

He smirked, "Yeah. I promise…"

And as he glanced out the window, observing the twinkling stars from afar, gradually he fell into unconsciousness, sure that, with the guarantee of tomorrow, he would keep that promise.


	3. Chapter Two: An Unexpected Burden

**Chapter Two: An Unexpected Burden  
**

A week had passed since the children had been brought to the palace grounds. The Queen had plans to put the three of them through school and hoped to have them start training as senshi and shitennou by the end of the year. Yet those of noble blood sneered at the thought of their children mixing with commoners, since both Sirius and Risou had not been born into the higher part of society. Her solution was simple and she knew none would cross her when the final decision had been made…

* * *

"Why do you think she wants to see us?" Sanyo inquired as she stood behind a changing panel. Her personal maid had been fussing with the dress her Aunt had had made for her all morning. It was a beautiful, red sleeveless dress that had a very high, ruffled collar and a triangle cut out of the top layer to reveal many levels of white petticoats beneath. Despite its beauty she despised its lack of flexibility and loathed the amount of jewelry the maid was currently draping upon her wrists.

Sirius shrugged, his attention currently split between listening to Sanyo's ramblings about what trouble they could've unconsciously caused and a book he'd found in the library.

"Are you listening to me?" The girl asked as she peeked out from behind the screen and glared in her friend's direction. He snapped to attention and smiled sheepishly. Waving the book in her direction, Sirius stood and strode over to the flimsy barrier.

"Stop worrying. She probably just wants to talk to us about what happened again. I don't think she'd make all of us dress up just to scold us? Do you?"

That caused the jittery female to calm down just a bit. He was right—as usual.

"Am I late?" Risou asked as he entered Sanyo's room. He was dressed in a tight collared shirt, the silver Orion emblem visible on his back, with a pad of armor on his left shoulder, knee length slacks, and shiny black boats. He and Sirius both wore the same uniform though neither understood why.

"No you're right on time actually," Sanyo said with a hint of surprise in her voice as she stepped out from behind the screen and joined the two in the center of the room.

Both Sirius and Risou stared in silence at the made up Sanyo. She blinked confused by their gaping mouths.

"_What_?"

"You-you," Risou stuttered, "you look like a girl."

Before Sanyo could inform Risou that she was in fact a girl they'd been interrupted by Hiyako, who'd come to escort them to the Queen's private chambers.

"I'm scared," Sanyo whispered to Sirius as he and Risou walked along side her. Both looked particularly handsome in their new clothing though because of Risou's rude remark she'd forgotten to tell them so.

"Don't be. We'll be right there beside you," he nudged the boy next to him, "Right Risou?"

"Ow! Err—right…what he said," Risou smiled sheepishly, he'd not been paying attention…as always.

"Here we are," a door was pulled open and they were shuffled into a large space. The Queen's throne sat in the center upon a dais surrounded by four rows of chairs. As they entered Her Highness approached them, nodding to Hiyako that she could take them from here.

"Welcome younglings," Queen Mangekyou smiled fondly at the trio.

"Your Highness," The three replied as they bowed respectively.

"Come," she beckoned to them," it is high time that I introduce you to my court."

They were led to the dais where they were ordered by Hiyako to stand upon the second step and to face the audience of nobles that had come to hear of the Queen's announcement.

"An awful event has occurred amongst our midst," the Queen began as she addressed her lords and ladies, "and though we continue to mourn our losses we must keep moving forward. I am saddened by the slaughter of my brother and sister but I rejoice in knowing that my niece lives."

Sanyo swallowed and blushed beneath the gazes of all those who stared at her. Though she found comfort in the fact that she needn't go through this alone.

"I have thought long and hard about this and due to recent events I've finally come to a decision," the Queen paused, "I have no King and no children and if anything should happen to me I would be able to pass into the nether realms happily if I knew that one of my own where to lead in my stead—"

A hushed murmur fell upon the gathered crowd.

"—And so I declare before all that my niece, Sanyo, shall be the heir to the Orion throne."

The poor girl paled beneath the weight of that statement. Heir? Throne? Her? It was within those moments of unease that Queen Mangekyou, her Aunt Kyou, had placed a silver circlet of flowers upon her crown. She grimaced at what that adornment implied.

"Also, my niece would not be here today without the aid these two brave boys," the Queen waved a hand towards the lads whose legs shook from nervousness, "have given her. I proclaim from this day forward that both Sirius and Risou shall be squires of this court, having been accepted into the shitennou program, and future knights and protectors of our kingdom."

"That is," the Queen continued," if that is your wish."

Sirius and Risou exchanged glances before they responded, "I accept."

"You don't have to-" Sanyo began but Sirius gave her a glare that quickly shut her up.

The Queen raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing as she continued with her speech, "These young Squires and my niece are the future of this kingdom. Congratulate and welcome them into our court."

A deafening roar rose up from the crowd and all seemed blind to the scared visages that the three children tried desperately to hide beneath false expressions of joy and gratitude.

* * *

Once they were alone, however, the truth came out…

"Me? A princess—can you imagine?!" Sanyo scowled as she yanked the crown from her head and tossed it into the corner of her room. Her eyes were alight with anger as she walked the length of the chamber. Sirius watched her calmly from beneath the canopy of her bed, his long arms crossed disapprovingly against his chest.

"Princess Sanyo, the Princess Royal of the Orion constellation and heir to the throne of the House of Kibou," she spat as she mimicked her Aunt's voice.

"I'm only seven—SEVEN—and she wants me to rule?"

"I don't think she meant right way," Sirius began only to be cut off by an impromptu shriek as she fell onto the mattress beside him.

"Can't I just go back to being me? Pulling pranks and skipping lessons? Now I'll have to be…_serious_," she said the word with such distaste that Risou couldn't help but chuckle in response as he entered her bedroom, "Throwing a fit is she?"

"Yes. She _claims_ she doesn't want to be princess," Sirius replied.

"I don't!" Sanyo grumbled into her pillow.

"Oh? Doesn't like wearing all the pretty dresses?" Risou inquired as he took a seat by the windowsill.

"That could be it or perhaps she isn't looking forward to dancing with all the handsome princes," Sirius teased as he began to pirouette around the room causing both of them to laugh uncontrollably.

Sanyo lifted her head as she glared at the pair, "JERKS!"

A pillow was heaved in their direction. They scattered like mice, finding shelter behind the large bed frame.

"I'm being serious. I really don't want to be Queen. I wouldn't know how to handle it."

"You'll be fine," Risou reassured her once he'd been brave enough to leave his hiding place.

"Oh really? How do you know?" Sanyo snapped as she pushed her hair out of her face and gave them both a really nasty look.

"Because," Sirius reached over and grasped her hands in his, "we'll be here to help you."


End file.
